Kade heard the music before he saw the woman playing it.

He’d been on his way down the hall to knock on her door, but now he moved through the hallway, taking his time, enchanted by the music almost as much as he was by this woman.

"Song,” he said to himself. Listening to her play, he thought how perfectly her name suited her.

Strike that. The crazy, plane jumping woman with vindictiveness in her eyes was not, could not be, the same woman who played this magical music.

The piano hadn’t been played for a long time. While he knew his staff kept it dusted and in fine repair, he’d often thought of selling the piano because it felt like such a waste having it here. Anthony was the one who played it, and he never came over anymore. As he turned the corner to the music room, his heart nearly stopped.

Felicity sat in a white dress with her hair down and her eyes closed as her fingers ran over the keys.

He stopped, not wanting to startle her from her trance. Not wanting to ruin the beauty. Not wanting to break whatever mini experience he was having with the woman today. She’d made it very clear he couldn’t contact her after today.

When she’d told him he couldn’t fall in love with her, he had thought she might have too much self-confidence. At this moment, after flying through the air with her, kissing her, getting slapped by her, seeing the easy way she interacted with the kids at McDonalds, and watching her play, a strange feeling was weaving through him, taking him by surprise, getting past all his defenses. Could he be falling for her?

Even though it took getting through her shell to see it, the woman was warm, funny, and totally not what he’d expected. Right now, she looked like an angel.

It nagged him, this wanting to find out more. He felt like he was going into a game blind—no stats, no game tape they’d watched and analyzed the week before. He didn’t know what her strengths were, where her weaknesses lay. Didn’t know if any of his moves would get the ball down the field. The only thing he was sure about at this moment was that there was no way this would be the last day he ever saw her.

The music stopped, and Kade wanted to shout. “Keep playing!” But he didn’t say a word.

Their eyes were locked, and now he was part of another trance, one he wouldn’t have dreamed possible between this feisty redheaded PR girl who threw her dad out of the auction and refused a date with him.

She blinked and looked at her hands, standing. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have just …"

“No.” He took large sweeping steps into the music room, wanting to keep her at the piano. “Sit. Please.”

Her eyes met his again, and he was there, in front of the piano.

She sat, but it didn’t look like she had a choice. Her hands went back on the keys. “Are you sure?”

He felt breathless and a bit erratic as he watched her go into another song. It was a modern day Jurassic Park arrangement.

Listening closer, he saw her, again, get lost in the music. Her head swayed and her eyes closed.

It was remarkable to hear her go into song after song, from modern to show tune to classic melodies and mash them up. He wanted to tell her she should do the whole indie music thing. He’d watched a video on YouTube about it the other day. She could probably make way more than she made at DaVinci PR. Though he didn’t really know how much she made there, and he really wasn’t sure what an indie rock music person would make either. Finally, he edged around the piano and found himself slipping down on the bench next to her.

He smelled a light scent on her. Earlier, he’d wondered what that scent was. It smelled incredible. Floral and fruity. He’d smelled it the night of the bachelor auction too.

Finishing her last show tune, she ended the music, pulling her hands back.

Their eyes met, and he saw vulnerability in them. Dang, all he wanted to do was kiss her again.

When people fell all over themselves around him after a game and women said they loved him, he’d kind of understood they’d loved his talent, his ability. Right now, he thought he might be feeling the same way about her music. “You’re good,” he said softly, wondering when he’d turned into a weird fan boy.

All the walls went back up instantly, and she shook her head. “Naw, just lots of time to practice.”

The comment felt a bit cryptic, and he wanted to ask more. Why did she have so much time?

She stood. “I better finish getting dressed for the dinner date." She threw up her hands and started retreating across the music room. “We have to get going. I totally lost track of time.”

* * *

Half an hour later, Kade waited in his front living room, having no idea why he was dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a cowboy hat and boots. He thought of a million ways he could see her again.

Excuses.

The PR company. He had to work on something with DaVinci and make DaVinci assign her to him. Did she work out? Where? Walk a dog? Did he ask her if she had a dog? He could find the dog park. Why didn’t he have a dog?

“Are you ready, Cowboy?”

Looking up at her, once again, he was stunned by her beauty. She wore a jean skirt that went to her knees, red boots, a white top with a huge necklace of silver stones, and a cowboy hat with matching stones. Her hair was down in soft curls around her face. She looked gorgeous. “Wow.” He stood.

Frank and Jim filmed and snapped pictures. His heart quickened, and he reached his hand out to her.

The PR girl was back and in action. She winked at the camera. “Kade is a big fan of dinner dancing cruises, so I found a country one, and we’re on it.”

Dread washed over him, but he covered it with a paparazzi-practiced smile. “Sounds perfect.”